How To Prepare For The World’s End Release In 6 Easy Steps

The World’s End is coming, and I’m not talking about that Mayan apocalypse fake-out. I’m talking the real deal, starring Hollywood’s modern answer to Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Under the guidance of director extraordinaire Edgar Wright, the duo has guided us through a zombie apocalypse in Shaun of the Dead and taken back control of a small town from a group of persnickety/violent town council members in Hot Fuzz. Next up they’re going on the world’s most epic pub crawl in The World’s End.

Now as the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy comes to a close there are certain rituals that must be conducted, loose ends to be tied and general preparations to be made as we await the opening of the final film. Or in other words, we have some time on our hands as we wait for the August 23rd American release date to get here and here are six ways to kill it:

1. Buy Your Ticket

Buy it now. Granted, we’re in America and this isn’t Iron Man 3, but think like a Boy Scout on this one, guys. Buy those tickets early. You never know when the civilian, non-geek culture obsessed folks are going to catch on to this sort of thing.

2. Rewatch Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Spaced

Start with Spaced; yes, it’s a TV show, but that’s where the magic uber geek fun began and also, it is as excellent as you remember. (Isn’t it nice when that happens?)

From there jump into the zombie goodness of Shaun of the Dead and chase it with the action movie hijinks of Hot Fuzz. (And, if you can find it, reach even further back to the British series Asylum where Wright, Pegg and Spaced co-star/writer/creator Jessica Hynes first began collaborating.)

3. Explore the Deep Cuts

Dig deeper into Pegg and Frost’s careers; they both have quite the oeuvre built up. Never seen Run, Fatboy, Run? Now’s the perfect time; it’s far more charming than it has ever been given credit for being. While you’re at it, check out Attack the Block— Frost’s role is small, but the movie is so good you won’t notice. Don’t forget Paul either: our two favorite guys go on a road trip with an alien and Kristen Wiig.

If you’re looking for something animated, both men lent their voices to the Adventures of Tintin, and Pegg pops up in Ice Age 3.

4. Eat Some Ice Cream

At the heart of all the trilogy is everyone’s favorite summer treat.

The trilogy’s name comes from the popular British brand of ice cream, Cornetto, and each film features one of the characters buying the appropriate flavor to correspond with the film’s theme. In Shaun of the Dead, it was the strawberry flavor to match the film’s bloody tone, in Hot Fuzz it was blue for the police element, and in The World’s End the color will be green (mint chocolate chip) to represent the sci-fi adventures ahead.

Sadly, if you’re stateside finding Cornetto is impossible as far as I know. But we have plenty of ice cream to make our own fun with.

5. Ask Yourself Why Jessica Hynes Doesn’t Get Invited to the Party More Often

While Pegg and Frost’s careers have led to international fame, their former cohort (and my personal favorite part of Spaced) has largely been left to her own devices starring in plenty of Britsh sitcoms, but precious few movies. Hynes popped up twice in Shaun of the Dead: first in a fun cameo and later as the film’s unexpected hero as she saved Shaun and his girlfriend with a little help from the military. She was nowhere to be seen in Hot Fuzz though and unless she’s uncredited, she won’t be popping up in The World’s End, either.

While I’m sure there are many reasons she hasn’t appeared in each part of the trilogy, it’s still a bummer that she doesn’t reunite with her former co-workers more often.

6. Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Think of it as a bit of cultural research. While Invasion of the Body Snatchers has been remade several times, watch the 1956 original and then when you finally see The World’s End on opening day see if you can spot the ways in which the classic influenced what’s sure to be the madcap sci-fi menagerie Wright and friends have cooked up.

I hope my suggestions were helpful, but if you’ve got more ways to make the wait for opening day go by faster, I would love to hear them. Share your suggestions in the comments (and no, “move to England” isn’t helpful, that’s just teasing).

Sabienna is a freelance writer, pop culture junkie and unabashed fangirl. She blames an early exposure to The X-Files and the Must See TV era of NBC for her twin life-long loves of sci-fi and sitcoms. She's not sure where her all-consuming love for all things British came from, but it led her to Doctor Who so she doesn't complain.